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AEW Revolution 2022 Predictions

Michael Reichlin
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We’ve got our AEW Revolution 2022 predictions ahead of the big pay-per-view this Sunday from Orlando, Florida.

SEScoops team members Fernando Quiles, Jr., Tyriese Simon and Andrew Ravens are here to provide their expert picks for each match on the card.

Check out their predictions below and hit up the comments section with your own.

AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs. Tay Conti

Andrew Ravens: There’s no chance Tay wins the title here and the oddsmakers are backing Jade by a lot. Tay is another opponent for Jade to work with and make her look good, but Jade walks away with the strap. (Prediction: Jade Cargill)

Fernando: This is a step up for Jade in terms of competition for her TBS Championship. I expect Tay to get a lot more offense in this one than past challengers but she will ultimately fall short. Jade’s title reign is too fresh to end now. (Prediction: Jade Cargill)

Tyriece: AEW is booking Jade Cargill as a dominant force in the women’s division, and I think she continues the momentum at Revolution. Tay Conti will get some offense and have her moments, but Cargill will win to continue her winning streak. (Prediction: Jade Cargill)

Consensus: Jade Cargill to retain the TBS Championship

Matt Hardy, Andrade El Idolo and Isiah Kassidy vs. Sting, Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara

Fernando: It seems like Jeff Hardy will eventually make his way to AEW and if that’s the case, Matt is definitely turning face and realigning with his brother. I think the seeds have been planted for the Hardy Family Office eventually crumbling or being taken over by Andrade. Things could very well break down in this match as I see Darby, Sting, and Sammy getting the win. (Prediction: Sting, Darby Allin & Sammy Guevara)

Andrew Ravens: This is a pretty easy pick here as the babyfaces should go over. If you need a weak link then Kassidy is the guy to take the loss. Let everyone goes their separate ways aside from Allin and Sting after this one. (Prediction: Sting, Darby Allin, and Sammy Guevara)

Tyriece: This match could begin the split between Andrade and Matt Hardy. Hardy has shown to be frustrated with the private party, and AEW teased tension between him and Andrade. (Prediction: Darby Allin, Sting, and Sammy Guevara)

Consensus: Sting, Darby Allin & Sammy Guevara

AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa

Andrew Ravens: Oddsmakers are really behind Rosa to win here and while she is just one of two stars who could realistically beat Baker, the question comes down to why take the title off Baker when she’s far and above anyone else. The fans will still be behind Rosa despite the loss. Baker walks away with the gold. (Prediction: Britt Baker)

Tyriece: AEW has itself in an interesting situation with Baker vs. Rosa. The champion has reigned as AEW Women’s Champion since May. 30, 2021. She also defeated several of the top talents in the division, like Ruby Soho, Tay Conti, and Riho. Now is the time for Baker to lose the title, and Rosa can lead the division. I can also see Mercedes Martinez help Rosa in the match by taking out Jamie Hayter and Rebel. If AEW has Baker defeat Rosa, she Will have beaten all worthy babyface based on AEW’s win/loss record. I think Rosa pulls the upset. (Prediction: Thunder Rosa)

Fernando: Before the go-home show on Dynamite, my money was on Thunder Rosa becoming the new AEW Women’s Champion. With her pinfall victory over Britt in a tag team match, that thought has sailed. I think Britt wins this one through nefarious means and we get a rematch at Double or Nothing. (Prediction: Britt Baker)

Consensus: Britt Baker retains the AEW Women’s World Championship

Face of the Revolution Ladder Match

Andrew Ravens: Some interesting names in this one, but to me, it comes down to only two guys – Wardlow and Keith Lee. With Lee recently making his debut, I can see a case being made as to why he should win to keep his winning ways going forward. However, I side with Wardlow, who has been teasing for months splitting away from MJF. What better way for Wardlow to win gold without the help of MJF to make MJF even more upset with his security. (Prediction: Wardlow)

Tyriece: “Limitless” Keith Lee should be the favorite going into this match and for the right reasons. Lee is a new talent in AEW, and this match is a great way to show his ability. He’s also the only competitor without a faction. I think some inadvertent double-crossing may happen, particularly between Shawn Spears and Wardlow. I believe Lee throw someone off the ladder to win the match. (Prediction: Keith Lee)

Fernando: It’s interesting that they went with more muscle for a ladder match over the high flyers. Regardless, this is gonna be a fun one. I think Shawn Spears will cost Wardlow by “accidentally” hitting him with a chair. My pick for this one is “Limitless” Keith Lee, which means trouble for Sammy Guevara’s second TNT Title reign. (Winner: Keith Lee)

Consensus: Keith Lee earns the TNT Title Shot

AEW World Tag Team Championship

Andrew Ravens: I could see the possibility of reDRagon winning the titles here since they’ve been pushed strongly. To me, it just doesn’t make sense for there to be a title change as Jurassic Express is so over with the fans. It will be one of the best matches on the card though (Prediction: Jurassic Express)

Tyriece: In this match, it is difficult to say who wins. Jurassic Express won the Tag Team Championship on Jan. 5. Would AEW take the titles off of them with a two months reign? I think they will retain the championships. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if the ReDragons stole the win to add to the tension between them and the Young Bucks. (Prediction: Jurassic Express)

Fernando: My hope is that Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus don’t get overshadowed by the animosity between reDRagon and The Young Bucks. There will definitely be moments in this match where reDRagon and The Bucks fail to get on the same page and start brawling. It’ll ultimately lead to a successful title defense for Jurassic Express. (Prediction: Jurassic Express)

Consensus: Jurassic Express retains the AEW World Tag Team Championships

Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston

Tyriece: It’s interesting to note that Eddie Kingston has never won at an AEW Pay per view. Unfortunately, I don’t think he will be at Revolution. Jericho seems to be transitioning to a heel as the “influencer,” and I don’t believe he takes the loss. AEW could decide to have Kingston win to push Jericho to a full-fledged heel after the match. However, I think Jericho cheats to defeat Kingston. (Prediction: Chris Jericho)

Fernando: There is an opportunity to extend this feud with a Chris Jericho win. Eddie is obviously long overdue for a big victory but I don’t think he gets it this weekend. I think Eddie gets screwed and continues to search for that elusive signature win, which he’ll get at Double or Nothing in a rematch with Jericho. (Prediction: Chris Jericho)

Andrew Ravens: Kingston is a big favorite here and I agree. Jericho doesn’t need the win, but Kingston does. Depending on the finish, we could get a second match out of this feud as Jericho has been acting very heelish as of late and if Kingston gets a cheap win then Jericho can point that out to make the case for a rematch. (Prediction: Eddie Kingston)

Consensus: Chris Jericho wins

Dog collar match: CM Punk vs. MJF

Andrew Ravens: This should be the blowoff match although if Punk wins here, which I expect to happen, a case could be made for a third match with an even greater stipulation taking place to decide a clear cut winner although I think this storyline has been drawn out enough to close it out here. (Prediction: CM Punk)

Fernando: There’s no way Punk is walking out of Revolution without a victory. MJF bloodied Punk on the go-home episode of Dynamite and it’s time for some payback. Max will finally get his comeuppance and one has to wonder if this is where Wardlow will turn face (Prediction: CM Punk)

Tyriece: Punk should win this match. MJF won the first encounter on Feb. 2, and I think Punk gets his revenge. Shawn Spears may come out to interfere, but Wardlow may do something to stop Spears and Punk gets the win. (Prediction: CM Punk)

Consensus: CM Punk wins

Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley

Andrew Ravens: Honestly, this should be a coin flip as either guy could win here. I can see why Danielson wins and he earns the respect of Moxley to be his tag team partner, but I can also see how a Moxley win would upset Danielson, a heel, who takes it to the next level with attacks and it leading to a rematch. I’ll side with Moxley. (Prediction: Jon Moxley)

Tyriece: I expect this match to be very physical and hard-hitting. Moxley hadn’t lost a match since his AEW return, and I don’t think he loses at Revolution. Danielson wouldn’t be hurt by a loss to Moxley either. The question will be if Danielson and Moxley will team up afterward? (Prediction: Jon Moxley)

Fernando: Throughout the buildup to this match, Jon Moxley has been saying that if Danielson expects to fight with him, then he has to bleed with him. That means both men are definitely doing blade jobs in this match. I see Moxley standing tall with a crimson mask when this one is over. (Prediction: Jon Moxley)

Consensus: Jon Moxley wins

AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Adam Cole

Fernando: I think most can agree that Hangman is retaining the title but how they get there could be interesting. Will The Young Bucks thwart interference from reDRagon given their beef and the connection to Hangman? There are a few directions they go can in but all will lead to a win for Hangman Page. (Prediction: Hangman Page)

Andrew Ravens: Page has only been champion for just over 100 days so it seems a little early if you’re looking back at long-term AEW World Championship reigns to take the title off him despite Cole being an excellent choice to carry the top prize in the company. I don’t see a rematch coming out of this and Cole will certainly make his way back to the title in the distant future. Page keeps the gold. (Prediction: Adam Page)

Tyriece: Does Adam Page lose the AEW world title as champion after less than four months? I believe he does. It seems that AEW has featured Cole as more of a star than Page in the last few weeks. Cole has been given more screen time and has the storyline of being the new leader for the Elite. I think Cole wins, and Page will go back to chasing the title. (Prediction: Adam Cole)

Consensus: “Hangman” Adam Page retains the AEW World Championship

New Details on Vince McMahon’s Interview with Pat McAfee

Ryan Droste
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Vince McMahon will give a rare interview on Thursday afternoon as a guest on The Pat McAfee Show. This will be McMahon’s first extensive live interview since appearing on The Stone Cold Podcast back in 2014.

In a new report from Fightful Select, it was emphasized that the interview will in fact be “real.” While it’s expected that McMahon will begin some type of storyline with McAfee during the interview, rumored to culminate in a match at WrestleMania 38, the rest of the appearance should be fascinating given the nature of the appearance.

While McAfee does announce for WWE, his show is not part of the WWE’s ecosystem. McMahon going on an outside program like this hasn’t happened in many, many years, especially in a live setting. There are many directions the questioning could take.

McMahon did appear on WWE Monday Night Raw this week as part of his ongoing story with Austin Theory. During that appearance, Theory offered to accompany Vince to the interview and back him up in case McAfee got physical with him. McMahon declined stating it wouldn’t be that type of a show. Theory made it seem like he will be there for the interview anyway.

It would make sense for Theory to be involved in whatever is planned for WrestleMania given McMahon’s age and his limitations in the ring. WWE continues to use Vince in their efforts to get Theory over with the WWE audience, an ongoing project that, judging by crowd reactions, has not worked thus far. Perhaps a prime spot at WrestleMania could help change things.

McMahon’s interview on The Pat McAfee Show is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

AEW Dynamite Results (3/2): CM Punk & MJF, Tony Khan Buys ROH, Revolution Go-Home Show

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the final episode of Dynamite before AEW Revolution this Sunday. Tony Khan made a special announcement during tonight’s show. CM Punk responded to MJF’s emotional promo last week just a few days ahead of their Dog Collar match at Revolution. In addition to the takeaways below, Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs warned Keith Lee not to show up at Rampage this Friday.

Dynamite Results

  1. Bryan Danielson def. Christopher Daniels
  2. Young Bucks won the Casino Battle Royale & earned a spot in the AEW Tag Title Triple Threat match at Revolution
  3. Thunder Rosa & Mercedes Martinez def. Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter
  4. Wardlow def. Cezar Bononi
  5. Adam Cole & ReDragon def. Hangman Page & Dark Order

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Tony Khan Buys Ring Of Honor

Tony Khan said he had a massive announcement tonight he delivered it to begin the show. Khan announced that he is the new owner of Ring of Honor wrestling. Khan thanked everyone for being a part of the journey and noted that he had been an ROH fan for a long time.

Bryan Danielson Picked Up A Win & Traded Words With Moxley Ahead Of Their Match At Revolution

Bryan Danielson squared off against Christopher Daniels in the first match of the night. This was Daniels’ first match back since May of last year.Danielson and Daniels locked up in the middle of the ring to begin the action. Daniels hit a shoulder tackle and took Bryan down with an Arm Drag. Daniels taunted Bryan and did some jumping jacks in the middle of the ring.

Chris knocked Bryan out of the ring and hit him with a springboard Moonsault. Back in the ring, Danielson battled back and applied a submission hold. Daniels broke free and leveled Bryan with a Clothesline. Daniels booted Bryan in the face before slamming him to the canvas.

Daniels hit a Falcon Arrow and went for the cover but Danielson was able to kick out at two. Danielson responded with a release German Suplex and a running Dropkick to Daniels’ face. Bryan hit some chops and Yes Kicks in the corner of the ring. Danielson perched Daniels up on the top turnbuckle and joined him up there.

Danielson went for a Superplex but Daniels blocked it. Chris shoved Bryan to the canvas and went for a Crossbody but Danielson rolled through. Daniels punched Bryan in the face and it just annoyed Danielson. The two started trading punches and Daniels dropped to the canvas after a forearm to the face for a two count.

The two battled up to the top turnbuckle again and Daniels went for a Hurricanrana but Bryan shoved him away. Daniels hit a slam and went for a Moonsault but Bryan caught him in a Triangle submission. Danielson unloaded elbow strikes to Daniels’ head until he passed out and flexed for several seconds before releasing the hold.

After the match, Bryan Danielson grabbed a microphone and said that he and Daniels were in the main event of ROH twenty years ago, and at that time they started & ended matches in a handshake. Danielson shook Daniels hand while he was laid out before saying he’s not in ROH anymore, he’s in AEW and it is time to kick someone’s head in. Danielson booted Daniels’ face several times before vowing to stomp Moxley’s head in at Revolution.

Jon Moxley’s theme hit and he made his way through the crowd before getting in the ring with Danielson. Moxley paced around as the crowd chanted his name. Moxley told Danielson that he is better than ever and more violent than ever as well. Jon told Bryan that he has got it wrong because he is at a crossroads.

Moxley isn’t going down the path where Bryan kicks his head in, because the story of Jon Moxley is just starting and he’s writing the first chapter at Revolution in Bryan’s blood. Moxley dared Bryan to fight right now and started pacing around like a maniac. Bryan rolled out of the ring and posed on the entrance ramp. Bryan and Moxley will battle this Sunday at AEW Revolution.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1499193500054732800?s=20&t=1u5w_84qD4DHFgQUH5d5KQ
https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1499194602737262600?s=20&t=RL17geJhWyDJHd07ZDJi9w

Young Bucks Won The Casino Battle Royale

FTR faced Top Flight as the first two teams of the Casino Battle Royal. The winning tag team will be added to the AEW Tag Team Championship match at Revolution. It was Top Flight’s first match back together in exactly one year. Darius and Dante Martin dominated the action early and beat the hell out of Dax Harwood.

The Acclaimed entered the match next and beat down Top Flight after Max Caster rapped a bit. Dark Order entered the match next and attacked Caster & Bowens. Butcher & Blade entered the Casino Battle Royale and beat Dark Order down.

FTR eliminated Alan Angels by launching him onto the entrance ramp as Varsity Blonds entered the match next. Bear Country entered during the break and were quickly eliminated. Santana & Ortiz entered next as Caster was eliminated. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta) entered the Battle Royale and Trent started unloading some chops.

Bowens eliminated Griff Garrison and posed in the ring. Evil Uno & Stu Grayson of Dark Order entered the Battle Royale followed by the Young Bucks. Matt & Nick had a stare down with FTR and took their sweet time walking down to the ring. They were about to trade punches but the rest of the teams attacked them in the middle of the ring as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Gunn Club entered the Battle Royale. FTR hit the Big Rig and Gunn Club were quickly eliminated. Brock Anderson & Lee Moriarty entered the match & Arn Anderson accompanied the team to the entrance ramp. Anthony Bowens eliminated 10 of Dark Order and then Stu Grayson.

2.0 (Matt Lee & Jeff Parker) were up next but hesitated to get into the ring as several teams were staring at them. 2.0 battled with FTR in the corner as Matt Jackson barely avoided an elimination by hanging onto the ropes. Matt sent Brock Anderson over the top rope and Lee was eliminated shortly after.

Top Flight sent Bowens over the top and The Acclaimed were officially eliminated from the Battle Royale. Evil Uno poked Trent in the eye on the ring apron but got distracted by Danhausen. Trent capitalized with a German Suplex on the ring apron and Evil Uno fell to the floor for the elimination.

Santana & Ortiz eliminated 2.0 but Jeff & Matt eliminated them as revenge. The crowd were not fans of Santana & Ortiz being eliminated. Top Flight, FTR, and Young Bucks were the final three teams after Trent was sent over the top rope. Top Flight and FTR battled as Young Bucks huddled in the corner. Dante hit a Hurricanrana on Cash over the top rope but eliminated himself as well.

Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish distracted Dax Harwood and Young Bucks eliminated him to a chorus of boos. Matt & Nick Jackson circled Darius Martin and he unloaded some punches. Darrius hit a Spanish Fly and Clotheslined Nick over the top rope but he landed in the waiting arms of Brandon Cutler. Nick tried to hop on the ring apron but Darrius booted him off for the elimination.

Matt sent Darrius to the apron with a Back Body Drop and then they traded punches. Darrius unloaded several forearms but Matt responded with a low blow and a Superkick to the face for the elimination. Jurassic Express will defend the AEW Tag Team Championships against reDragon (Fish & O’Reilly) and Young Bucks at Revolution.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1499202791566450692?s=20&t=Wt03OMwXnaIofF6Zra_pkg

Chris Jericho Warned Eddie Kingston

Chris Jericho cut a backstage promo tonight on Dynamite. Jericho noted that the entire world is buzzing from Tony’s announcement before turning his attention to Eddie Kingston. Jericho boasted about being a big star for so long while Eddie hasn’t. Chris stated that Eddie finally has the chance to win the big one but wondered if Kingston really is over his fear of success. Santana & Ortiz showed up and gave Jericho a fist bump. Chris Jericho will face Eddie Kingston this Sunday at AEW Revolution.

MJF Brutally Attacked CM Punk

CM Punk made his way to the ring to a great reaction. Punk wondered if he is the bad guy in his own story and complimented MJF on baring his soul last week. Punk said it was courage that he did not know MJF had and added that he believed what he stated.

Punk brought up the famous picture of him & Steve Austin. CM Punk stated that he didn’t bury Austin when people claimed he took his ball and went home. Punk noted how MJF has attacked Dean Malenko, who is suffering from Parkinsons disease and blasted the late Brian Pillman. Punk said hurt people hurt people and asked MJF to come down to the ring.

Maxwell eventually strutted to the ring in a suit and stood across from CM Punk. MJF wouldn’t look at Punk and he got in his face. Punk said “so here’s the thing, I’ve done horrible things in my life and used by him, so full of hate”. Punk noted that he poured booze down an alcoholics throat, poured out Paul Bearer’s ashes, mocked a wrestlers addiction until he quit. He told MJF that all that hate isn’t just going to keep him warm, it is going to burn him up.

Punk said he woke up this morning and asked himself if he is the good guy. The answer was “I sure am trying” and Punk offered his hand for a handshake. MJF then buried himself in Punk’s shoulder for a hug and the two embraced. Punk patted MJF on the back of the head before Maxwell booted him in the balls. MJF sent Punk to the ropes and planted him with a Piledriver.

MJF was wearing the shirt with the picture of them together and motioned for Spears & Wardlow to come down to the ring. MJF put in the Dynamite Diamond Ring and punched CM Punk in the face. Maxwell gave the ring a smooch before unloading some more punches to Punk’s face. CM Punk was busted open and MJF continued to brutally beat him down. Spears tied the dog collar on Punk as MJF called CM “a stupid old man”. MJF vowed to show Punk and all these mindless sheep that he is the devil himself. Spears choked Punk a bit before Sting & Darby Allin made the save.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1499207279333318663?s=20&t=iKOX3-NMmeuOQ9TX7dKaRQ

Thunder Rosa Pinned The Champ Ahead Of Her Title Match

AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter faced Thunder Rosa & Mercedes Martinez tonight on Dynamite. Britt will defend the title against Thunder Rosa this Sunday at Revolution.

Martinez and Thunder Rosa dominated the action early and isolated the women’s champion in the corner of the ring. Hayter tagged in but Mercedes greeted her with a shoulder tackle. Thunder Rosa tagged in and continued to beat her down. Rebel tripped up Thunder Rosa and Hayter & Baker capitalized on the distraction. Hayter sent Thunder Rosa into the turnbuckle as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Martinez planted Hayter with a Fallaway Slam for a two count. Britt tagged in and hit Mercedes with a forearm to the face. Baker followed it up with a slam and went for the cover but couldn’t keep Martinez down. Baker went for the Lockjaw but Martinez escaped and tagged in Rosa.

Thunder Rosa and the champion traded punches in the middle of the ring. Rosa got the better of the exchange and slammed Baker to the canvas. Thunder went for a Suplex but Baker blocked it. Rosa hit a Death Valley Driver and went for the cover but Hayer broke it up at two. Thunder Rosa hit the Fire Thunder Driver on Baker for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1499210661619982347?s=20&t=iKOX3-NMmeuOQ9TX7dKaRQ

Jade Cargill & Tay Conti had a backstage argument following the match. Jade will defend the TBS Championship against Tay Conti at Revolution.

MJF Confronted Wardlow

Wardlow faced Cezar Bononi this week on Dynamite. Shawn Spears accompanied Wardlow to the ring. Cezar got in some offense but went for a Back Body Drop. Wardlow caught him and hit a massive Powerbomb as Spears was frustrated. Wardlow was listening to the crowd chanted “one more time” and continued the Powerbomb Symphony with two more for the pinfall victory. Spears went to hit Bononi with a chair after the match and Wardlow stopped him. Wardlow got in Spears’ face and he backed away as the crowd cheered.

MJF confronted Wardlow backstage and told him that he can keep the TNT if he wins it. Maxwell joked that Wardlow isn’t going to win anyways and Wardlow said “it is because I’m always too busy making sure you win”. MJF slapped Wardlow in the face and reminded him that he is not a professional wrestler, he is his body guard. MJF threatened to put Wardlow and his family out on the streets if he continues to disobey him.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1499211787442475010?s=20&t=iKOX3-NMmeuOQ9TX7dKaRQ

Adam Cole & ReDragon Picked Up A Win

Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, and Adam Cole faced AEW Champion Hangman Page, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds in the main event. Hangman Page will defend the AEW Championship against Adam Cole at Revolution.

Hangman leveled Bobby Fish with a big boot and bounced his head off the turnbuckle. The AEW Champion stomped Bobby Fish to the mat as Adam Cole looked on. Hangman hit a Fallaway Slam and dragged O’Reilly to the corner. John Silver tagged in and planted Kyle with a Suplex.

Reynolds got the tag and continued the beat down of O’Reilly. Fish tried to break it up but Dark Order took him out with a couple Dropkicks. O’Reilly battled back with a Dragon Screw and tagged in Cole. Adam unloaded some punches to Reynold’s face before quickly tagging out.

O’Reilly applied an Abominal Stretch in the corner as Cole taunted him. Page tagged in and Cole went for a Destroyer. Hangman blocked it and went for the Buckshot Lariat but Adam scampered out of the ring as Dynamite went to the final commercial break of the night.

When Dynamite returned, O’Reilly had John Silver in a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Silver broke free and Hangman tagged in. Hangman hit Fish with a Crossbody outside the ring and delivered a Powerbomb on O’Reilly for a near fall. Cole tagged in and a brawl broke out after a stare down between champion and challenger. Cole hit Silver with a Neckbreaker but turned around into a Buckshot Lariat from Hangman Adam Page. Hangman got up but Cole hit him with an Enziguri. Alex tagged in and booted Cole to the corner.

Cole responded with a Superkick and then The Boom for the pinfall victory. Cole attacked after the match but Hangman broke it up. O’Reilly tripped Hangman up and Cole unloaded some punches to the face. Fish & O’Reilly held Hangman up and tied him to the top rope. Fish & O’Reilly hit Silver with the High/Low and Cole planted Reynolds with the Canadian Destroyer as Hangman Page was helpless. Cole hit Page with a Superkick and some punches before posing with the AEW Championship to close the show.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1499217819388497921?s=20&t=iKOX3-NMmeuOQ9TX7dKaRQ
https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1499218457711509507?s=20&t=RL17geJhWyDJHd07ZDJi9w

Tony Khan Buys Ring of Honor

Michael Reichlin
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AEW President Tony Khan has purchased Ring of Honor.

Khan has been promoting a “major announcement” and announced the news on at the start of this week’s AEW Dynamite.

https://twitter.com/BRWrestling/status/1499189906194649089

Khan issued a statement on social media addressing the acquisition, which includes the video library, brand assets and intellectual property.

“Ring of Honor’s influence on modern professional wrestling is etched permanently in the history books, and this acquisition ensures that its legacy will be kept alive and treated with the utmost respect,” said Tony Khan, CEO of AEW, Chief Football Strategy Officer of the Jacksonville Jaguars and GM/Sporting Director of Fulham F.C. “This deal adds thousands of hours of content to our rapidly growing library and creates new opportunities for us to expand our footprint on a national and global scale, while having the potential to produce new content under the ROH banner. I will immediately begin exploring opportunities to make ROH’s video library available to fans, who’ll have the opportunity to witness the beginnings of the careers of AEW’s biggest stars.”

The press release mentions that more than 40 members of the AEW roster first wrestled for ROH, including CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Hangman Page, Dr. Britt Baker and Adam Cole.

Ring of Honor presents Supercard of Honor on Friday, April 1st from Dallas-Fort Worth, TX at the Curtis Culwell Center. This will be the first ROH live event since the company took a hiatus after December’s Final Battle pay-per-view.

Report: Triple H’s ‘Top Executive Assistant’ Gone from WWE

Michael Reichlin
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Lisette Pineda, Manager of Global Talent Strategy and Development for WWE, recently left the company. The news was first reported by PWInsider.

Pineda worked closely with Paul Levesque (Triple H), with some describing her role as his “top executive assistant.”

Levesque has yet to return to working full-time since suffering a ‘cardiac event’ last year. There is no timeframe for him to return, but Pineda’s release indicates it won’t be any time soon.

Levesque has made very few public appearances over the past few months. Back in November, he was spotted touring the building that will serve as WWE’s new headquarters.

In January, he appeared on NBC’s Nightly News to discuss WWE’s NIL (“Next In Line”) program and the company’s initiative to recruit collegiate athletes.

Lisette Pineda’s departure has led to speculation about Levesque’s future with WWE. PWInsider’s report states:

“Many who used to be in constant communication with him haven’t spoken with him in some time and there’s no indication he’s anywhere close to stepping back into his former roles for the company.”

Pineda had been with WWE for two years. According to her LinkedIn page, she previously spent 6 years at Goldman-Sachs.

Nia Jax Says “Everyone Is Miserable” In WWE

Michael Reichlin
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Don’t expect to see Nia Jax back in WWE any time soon.

Jax was released by WWE back on November 4th, along with Keith Lee, Killer Kross, Eva Marie and many others. She soon after released a statement and revealed that she was on a “mental health break” when WWE decided to cut her loose.

She has since stated that it’s very unlikely that she’ll wrestle again, but you never know in this crazy business.

On Wednesday, a fan on Twitter told Nia Jax that “we need her” back in WWE so she and Doudrop can team up and go after the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Jax is a former tag champion with Shayna Baszler.

Nia Jax on WWE Morale

Nia Jax did not mince words with her reply. She said, “lol no thank you!” She added that she speaks to friends in WWE on a regular basis and “everyone is miserable there.”

https://twitter.com/linafanene/status/1499083729519661057?s=21

There have been widespread reports of low morale in WWE, especially around the time the company releases talent.

Nia Jax is now a free agent and is legally cleared to work for other wrestling promotions, if that’s something that interested her.

During a recent appearance on Renee Paquette’s The Sessions podcast, she admitted that her feelings were hurt by the perception that she was unsafe to work with.

This past weekend, she was a guest at the Alexa Bliss bachelorette party from Las Vegas.

Where Are All The Women’s Factions in Wrestling?

Martin Holmes
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Whether it was the Four Horsemen blazing a trail across the Carolinas in the late 1980s, the New World Order and D-Generation X embroiled in the Monday Night Wars of the 1990s, the Shield and the New Day establishing WWE’s modern-day main event scene, or the Bullet Club’s rise in Japan lighting the fuse of a wrestling revolution, factions have long been the lifeblood of pro-wrestling. But where are all the women?

I’ll come back to that question later. First, a brief history lesson.

Factions in Wrestling

A faction (or stable) is a group of wrestlers working together, often with a common cause or objective. The traces go all the way back to the 1920s and 1930s with promoters like the Gold Dust Trio and teams such as The Dusek Riot Squad. However, the concept rose to prominence in the 1970s with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan’s Family in Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association and later Jimmy Hart’s First Family in the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association.

By the mid-80s, both Heenan and Hart had reprised their families on the bigger stage of the then World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Around the same time, over in Jim Crockett Promotions, Ric Flair, Arn & Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard (along with JJ Dillon as their manager) formed the Four Horsemen, one of the most influential factions in wrestling history. While Heenan and Hart’s groups were mostly disparate personalities connected via a shared manager, the Horsemen operated as a unit of like-minded brothers.

The Gold Standard

With their braggadocios interviews and ruthless in-ring tactics, the Horsemen established themselves as the most fearsome group in wrestling. Their violent and bone-breaking feuds with the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, and The Road Warriors set a new bar for faction-based wrestling in the United States, birthing the bloody War Games matches in the process.

The group’s lineup would change several times over the years — the most renowned being when Barry Windham joined in 1988, leading to the Horsemen holding all the major titles in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) — but their impact would be felt for years to come.

The Four Horsemen

The Horsemen became the blueprint for all future factions. Their similar attire, tailor-made suits, four-finger salute, and captivating group promos contributed to a marketable act that drew in audiences from far and wide across several wrestling promotions. While the stable’s members were all talented in their own right, the Horsemen had an undeniable coolness factor that made the faction just as popular and recognizable as its individual performers.

Going International

Of course, factions aren’t exclusive to Western wrestling. While Heenan and Hart shored up their clientele in the late 70s, Mexico’s Universal Wrestling Association began putting its lightweight wrestlers into various trio combinations — most notably Los Misioneros de la Muerte and Los Mosqueteros del Diablo — and pitting them against each other. The popularity of those matches was such that other promoters across Mexico wanted to book the teams, giving rise to the now Lucha Libre staple of trios matches.

In Japan, real-life, behind-the-scenes tensions gave rise to the idea of the “invasion,” a now frequent ethos of the wrestling faction. It started in 1983 when a disgruntled Riki Choshu left New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), turning his back on Tatsumi Fujinami and forming his own stable, Ishin Gundan, which became the basis for rival promotion Japan Pro-Wrestling (JPW). This JPW core would later act as an invading force in an inter-promotional war with All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Choshu’s controversial actions would inspire several factions in the proceeding years, most prominently Heisei Ishingun, which combined wrestlers from NJPW and Wrestle Association R (WAR). This group was a mainstay of the Japanese wrestling scene throughout the 90s, feuding with various main eventers in both NJPW and WAR while also promoting their own shows.

Heisei Ishingun

The nWO & DX

The influence of the invasion-focused, cross-promotional-feuding Japanese factions was felt in the U.S. in 1996, when Scott Hall sauntered through the crowd on WCW Nitro, hijacking the show with declarations of “war” and kick-starting the NWO. In fact, former WCW Vice President Eric Bischoff has said his inspiration for the angle came after attending NJPW’s Battle Formation that same year, a show headlined by an inter-promotional NJPW vs. UWFi match.

Like the Four Horsemen before them, the NWO was a marketable unit, complete with hand signals, matching black attire, and an iconic logo. While the group became unwieldy in WCW’s later years, the initial incarnation turned the wrestling world on its head. Again, there was a coolness factor, with fans lapping up the cocky, rebellious rule-breakers as they threatened to take over the industry.

All of the best and most memorable factions share those traits — brash, take-no-crap badasses that dominate the competition and push the envelope. Sure, it’s a sliding scale, but you can see elements of those traits in everyone from The Legion of Doom to The Hart Foundation to DX to the Nation of Domination to Evolution to the Bullet Club to The Shield to the New Day to The Elite, and so on.

nWo

Where are all the women?

So, we now come back to the question, where are all the women? All of the factions mentioned above are male-dominated. Yes, a couple of them had female members, though usually acting as valets. But where is the female equivalent of the NWO or The Shield? For a sport that has been around for decades, why have we never had a mainstream all-women faction presented as a main event act in Western wrestling?

And I need to make it clear, I’m explicitly talking about Western wrestling here. Japan has been at the forefront of women’s wrestling for years. The country’s trend-setting Joshi competitors have influenced modern-day pro-wrestling worldwide, from move-sets to match styles to ring attire. Factions have long been a part of Japan’s wrestling culture. The kendo-stick-swinging Gokuaku Domei dominated All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling in the mid-80s, proving to be crowd favorites with their vicious team tactics.

Gokuaku Domei’s influence is seen today in many Japanese women’s promotions, which operate under the same unit-based format as the men’s promotions. A company like Stardom is built around faction warfare; each roster member is associated with a specific unit, with defections and lineup changes happening yearly. Each stable has its own unique style and aesthetic, from the colorful ass- kickers of the Cosmic Angels to the dark and brooding Oedo Tai to the strong and regal Queen’s Quest to the bright and cheerful Stars to the more serious and charismatic Donna del Mondo.

Sadly, badass female factions are one aspect of Japanese women’s wrestling that hasn’t translated to the West. Now, I’m not saying Western wrestling has never had an all-female faction. There is literally a women’s faction right now on NXT 2.0 — the brilliantly named Toxic Attraction. However, this group shares many of the same issues as mainstream Western women’s factions of the past. It’s another “mean girls” stable primarily centered around looks and sex appeal (as a recent boner joke-heavy episode of NXT can attest).

stardom women

The Four Horsewomen

There’s nothing inherently wrong with highlighting looks and sex appeal; after all, wrestling is such an image-focused business. However, the “beautiful but conceited mean girls” is such a tired wrestling trope at this point. It’s a far cry from a female version of The Shield or NWO, and it’s certainly nothing on the level of the black-clad, skull-and-crossbones flag-waving ass-whoopers of Gokuaku Domei or the evil hi-jinx of Stardom’s Oedo Tai. I’m also aware of the history of the Four Horsewomen — the name given to Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and Bayley. This foursome changed what mainstream women’s wrestling meant during their time in NXT, consistently putting on incredible matches in front of sold-out crowds. All four have since become cornerstones of the WWE. But they’ve never been presented as an official, on-screen faction.

Instead, the Horsewomen moniker was more about their behind-the- scenes contributions to the business. The WWE has never given serious attention to women’s factions, though it only started treating women’s wrestling as a whole with the respect it deserved around 2015. The company’s past attempts at female groups include the Pretty Mean Sisters (abbreviated to PMS, because I guess menstruation is hilarious?), Vince’s Devils, and Extreme Expose, the former mostly revolving around Vince McMahon’s ego and Playboy cover shoots and the latter nothing more than a titillating dance act.

Women’s Revolution

Since the self-branded “Women’s Revolution” in 2015, the WWE has had a few goes at more serious women’s factions. But, like its languishing women’s tag team division, this often involved randomly thrown together wrestlers in undercooked storylines and matches. This included the likes of Team PCB, Absolution, and Team B.A.D., all of which had stop-and-start pushes before being disbanded within less than a year.

The biggest missed opportunity was the Riott Squad, a trio that could have fit quite easily into the cool, rebellious badasses mold if presented better. Instead, the group fell victim to WWE’s frustrating yo-yo booking before being broken up, reformed, and ultimately killed dead when two of its members were released from the company.

Riott Squad

Before moving on, I must credit Impact Wrestling for at least treating women’s factions as a regular part of the show. They weren’t a random experiment shoved onto TV with no rhyme or reason behind it. Groups like The Beautiful People, The Queen’s Court, and The Dollhouse were involved in significant storylines and weren’t just dropped after a couple of months. Though, again, these groups fell into the “mean girls” category, mostly based around looks or soap-opera theatrics.

The American indie scene has also been doing great work in regards to women’s factions; all- women promotions like SHINE and SHIMMER have been at the forefront of this for years with groups like Valkyrie. This is where you can see female stables presented similarly to the popular male factions or Japanese women’s units. In recent years, LuFisto’s C4 and Ivelisse’s Las Sicarias are the types of women’s factions it would be refreshing to see on mainstream televised wrestling.

Looking ahead

So, are we ever going to see one of the major TV wrestling companies in the U.S. go all-in with a women’s faction? If there was ever a time to do it, it’s now. Never has there been this many high profile and talented female free agents on the market at the same time. That’s why I point to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) to make it happen. AEW is a company always on the lookout for new signings while also needing those final pieces to bolster its growing women’s division. A badass women’s faction could be a game-changer not only for AEW but for wrestling as a whole.

The Beautiful People

To AEW’s credit, it attempted a female faction during the early days of Dynamite with the much- maligned Nightmare Collective. Unfortunately, the group just didn’t click, due in part to an ill-timed and confusing Brandi Rhodes heel turn, an injury-wracked Awesome Kong, and a bunch of spooky bollocks that didn’t fit into AEW’s overall product. But it showed the desire for a women’s faction existed, and I believe those desires still exist, as seen with Dr. Britt Baker’s crew, though I view that more as a World Champion and her lackeys rather than a legit faction.

As I said, if there was ever a time to try again, it’s right now in 2022. The market is currently flooded with incredible, top-level women wrestlers, including Athena (the former Ember Moon), Nixon Newell (the former Tegan Nox), Toni Storm, Mia Yim, and Taya Valkyrie. Those are five experienced pros with name-value that could make an immediate impact as an invading unit. It also makes sense. AEW is a promotion that thrives on factions; it’s gang warfare where everybody needs back-up. So why wouldn’t the women adopt this mentality too?

Instead of debuting these stars individually and risking losing them in the shuffle, why not introduce them as a group? Give them the matching attire and cool logo and custom hand gestures. Have them dominate like The Shield. Let them wreak havoc and destroy the set like an NWO or a Nexus. And don’t just restrict them to the women’s division. Use them as a main attraction of the show. Have them interact with the top male talent. We’ve often seen women used in side-plots to men’s storylines. How about trying it the other way around for a change?

ToniStorm EmberMoon

In a 2021 interview on Sunday Night’s Main Event, Chris Jericho spoke of AEW owner Tony Khan’s affection for factions. “I think he likes having the factions, and here’s the real reason why… I think he likes having people involved,” Jericho explained. “Everybody on our show has a purpose and a point, and I would never suggest that someone doesn’t get TV time. So when you put together [factions]… they’re getting TV time, and they’re on the show, which they wouldn’t be if they weren’t involved in this faction.”

Those are the benefits of wrestling factions, and it’s done wonders for many of the male talents on the AEW roster. Now it’s time to let the women’s division feel those benefits too. In an industry where almost everything has already been done, do something original. Take those tried and trusted methods that catapulted numerous men’s factions to the top of the wrestling business and apply them to the women. You never know; it might just change the world.

Keith Lee Address Reports of Him Having “Attitude Issues”

Jaychele Nicole
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Keith Lee is one of the newest members of the AEW roster. He debuted on the February 9 edition of AEW Dynamite, just a few days after his WWE non-compete clause ran out. He was able to defeat Isiah Kassidy, in a meme-worthy match, to earn a spot in the Face of the Revolution ladder match.

Prior to his debut, Keith was released from WWE as a part of the November 4, 2021 releases. After his release, a report by Wade Keller of PWTorch stated that the former Bearcat “had, in general, attitude issues or, as one wrestler told me tonight, perceived attitude issues.”

Keith Lee Responds To Reports

In the lead up to AEW Revolution, Lee was asked by Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post about the “perceived attitude issues” report from his time in WWE.

Keith said, “At the end of the day, man, I’m very much like these old school guys like I really don’t pay attention to the internet like that, and half the time I don’t really pay attention to the apps. Like I may post a thing and someone who helps me with my account may post a thing that’s trying to be positive for other people or promote what I do here in AEW, especially now. I feel like this. If there’s no truth to it then why should I give it any credence? This is going to sound arrogant and I don’t really care. At the end of the day it is beneath me and I treat it as such.”

Face of the Revolution

Keith is going to be taking on Orange Cassidy, Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Wardlow, and one more opponent in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match at AEW Revolution this Sunday. The winner receives a match with the TNT Champion, and the brass ring.

AEW Revolution Matches

  • AEW World Championship: Hangman Page (c) vs. Adam Cole
  • AEW Women’s Championship: Britt Baker (c) vs. Thunder Rosa
  • Face of the Revolution Ladder Match: Keith Lee vs. Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Ricky Starks vs. Orange Cassidy vs. TBD
  • Tornado Trios Match: AHFO (Matt Hardy, Andrade El Idolo, Isiah Kassidy) vs. Sting, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin
  • Dog Collar Match: CM Punk vs. MJF
  • AEW Tag Team Championship Match: Jurassic Express (c) vs. reDRagon vs. TBD
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley

Amari Miller Confirms She Suffered a Concussion on NXT

Michael Reichlin
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Amari Miller confirms she suffered a concussion on this week’s NXT 2.0.

Miller wrestled Lash Legend on the show. The duo recently joined forces in the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, but lost in the first round. The former partners squared off to determine who was the weak link in the team.

Tuesday’s match featured a few spots that could have been executed better and were reflective of the competitors being ‘developmental’ talents.

Miller sustained an injury during the match, although it is unclear exactly when. She was tended to afterwards and was taken away from the ringside area on a stretcher.

You can watch highlights from the match here:

Amari Miller Concussion

Amari Miller responded to fans on social media who commented on the situation and addressed the situation.

Miller clarified that she was up late tweeting because it can be very dangerous, even fatal, to fall asleep immediately after sustaining a head injury or concussion.

She later thanked everybody for their concern.

SEScoops wishes Amari Miller a speedy recovery.

ROH Supercard of Honor: Updated Card with New Matches

Michael Reichlin
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Ring of Honor presents Supercard of Honor on Friday, April 1st from Dallas-Fort Worth, TX at the Curtis Culwell Center.

This will be the first ROH live event since the company took a hiatus after December’s Final Battle pay-per-view.

During that time, Ring of Honor has been undergoing a period of re-evaluating its business operations. It also announced the inaugural ROH Hall of Fame class, featuring The Briscoe Brothers, CM Punk, Samoa Joe and Bryan Danielson.

Earlier this week, ROH made several announcements related to Supercard of Honor 2022.

Free agent Sw3rve The Realest (Shane Strickland) will make his ROH debut against Alex Zane.

Joe Hendry has signed on to compete at the event:

Popular wrestling YouTube personality Denise Salcedo will also serve as a special guest host.

ROH Supercard of Honor 2022 Matches

Here is the updated card for ROH Supercard of Honor XV:

  • ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham vs. Bandido (Winner Takes All match to determine the Undisputed ROH World Champion
  • ROH World Tag Team Champions The Briscoe Brothers vs. TBA
  • ROH Women’s World Champion Deonna Purrazzo vs. TBA
  • Sw3rve The Realest vs. Alex Zane
  • Joe Hendry vs. TBA
  • Ninja Mack vs. TBA

If you’re in the Dallas area for WrestleMania 38 weekend, visit the Culwell Center website for ROH Supercard of Honor tickets.

Keep checking back to SEScoops for all the latest news about Ring of Honor and the upcoming Supercard of Honor 2022 event.

Vince McMahon Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show Thursday Afternoon

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon will be making a rare media appearance Thursday afternoon on the Pat McAfee Show.

McAfee has since responded to this announcement on Twitter. He said that he is ready to have the conversation of a lifetime with one of his current employers:

“Abaht to have the conversation of a LIFETIME with the LEGENDARY billionaire genius @VinceMcMahon next week #SmackDown #SmackDAHN,”

The Pat McAfee show steams from 12 noon ET on both YouTube and SiriusXM Channel 82 every Monday to Friday.

The former NFL player also recently interviewed Brock Lesnar on his show. During the appearance, Lesnar talked about things such as his social anxiety and more.

McMahon usually does not make a lot of media appearances. It will be interesting to see what comes out of this rare interview.

McAfee, who has previously wrestled for the company is also rumored for a WrestleMania feud but there is no word yet on who he might face at the show.

Pat McAfee: “I Guess Cody Rhodes is Coming to WWE. Who Cares?”

Ladder Match at Stand & Deliver, Amari Miller Stretchered Out, NXT Roadblock

Jaychele Nicole
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The 3/1 episode of NXT 2.0 contained a lot of new developments for both character arcs and their upcoming events.

NXT Roadblock Next Week

It was announced that next week there will be a special episode of NXT titled “Roadblock.” The name of the event was announced following Dolph Ziggler saying that he was going to be Bron Breakker’s ‘“roadblock” on his way to NXT Stand & Deliver. Three big matches have been announced for next week.

The Creed Brothers, the winners of the 2022 Men’s Dusty Cup Tournament, have decided to cash in their title opportunity to challenge Imperium for the NXT Tag Team Championships. The Creed Brothers defeated MSK in the finals of the tournament at NXT Vengeance Day. The match between Imperium and The Creed Brothers will take place next week at NXT Roadblock.

NXT Roadblock Matches

  • NXT Championship: Bron Breakker (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Dolph Ziggler
  • Last Man Standing Match: LA Knight vs. Grayson Waller
  • NXT Tag Team Championships: Imperium (c) vs. The Creed Brothers

Women’s Dusty Cup

This week, the Women’s Dusty Cup Tournament continued the quarterfinal rounds. Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez teamed up to defeat Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz. Dakota Kai and Wendy Choo were also able to defeat the established team of Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta.

The semi-finals will be Dakota Kai & Wendy Choo vs. Cora Jade & Raquel Gonzalez and Io Shirai & Kay Lee Ray vs Kayden Carter & Kacy Catanzaro with the winners moving on to the finals. The reward for winning the Dusty Cup is a shot at the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships currently held by Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin of Toxic Attraction.

GUNTHER ends Solo Sikoa’s Streak

GUNTHER, formerly known as WALTER, was able to end the undefeated streak of Solo Sikoa. Sikoa debuted in NXT in November of 2021. Since then, he has been able to defeat Jeet Rama, Grayson Waller, LA Knight, Boa, Santos Escobar, Andre Chase, and many others. 

North American Championship Ladder Match

Carmelo Hayes, after successfully defending his NXT North American Championship against Pete Dunne, took to the microphone to announce that he will be defending the championship in a ladder match. The match will take place at NXT Stand & Deliver on Saturday, April 2, as a part of WrestleMania weekend. Hayes claimed that he wanted to defend the championship in the match that the belt was “founded in”.

Amari Miller Injured

Amari Miller, after having a match with Lash Legend, was unfortunately stretchered off from the NXT set. We did not receive an on-air update or announcement. However, a fan in the NXT audience was able to record a video of what happened after the match.

Lash Legend defeated Amari Miller after the implosion of their tag team last week. We are still yet to receive an update on her injury or a timetable.

We at SEScoops would like to send our best wishes to Amari Miller and wish her a speedy recovery.

WWE NXT 2.0 Results (3/1): Title Match, Dusty Rhodes Classic, Tag Opener

Andrew Ravens
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The March 1, 2022 episode of WWE NXT 2.0 aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT 2.0 Results 

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  • Tommaso Ciampa and Bron Breakker defeated The Dirty Dawgs 
  • Dakota Kai and Wendy Choo defeated Persia Pirotta and Indi Hartwell via pinfall 
  • Lash Legend defeated Amari Miller 
  • Gunther defeated Solo Sikoa
  • Harland defeated Draco Anthony 
  • Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez defeated Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon
  • Von Wagner defeated Andre Chase
  • North American Champion Carmelo Hayes defeated Pete Dunne

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Dusty Rhodes Classic Match #1

0NXT

Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta vs. Wendy Choo and Dakota Kai in a first round Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament match.

The match was short with Kai pinning Pirotta with her finisher. 

Dusty Rhodes Classic Match #2

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Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez vs. Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz in a first round Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament match.

The match was fine with Jade and Raquel getting the win. Now, Raquel and Jade will face Choo and Kai in the second round of the tournament. 

The team that wins the tournament will get an NXT Women’s Tag Team title shot against champions Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne).

Title Match

3nxt

NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes made his latest title defense against Pete Dunne

The match was really good with near spots and back and forth action. It ended when Hayes hit his leg drop finisher. 

During last week’s show, Dunne interrupted a celebration speech from Hayes and Trick Williams after Hayes defeated Cameron Grimes two weeks ago. 

Dunne issued a challenge for the title and while Williams tried to refuse the match, Hayes said he didn’t back down and accepted.

Solo Sikoa vs. GUNTHER

2nxt

Solo Sikoa vs. GUNTHER (formerly known as WALTER) was booked on this show. 

Last week, Imperium went after The Creed Brothers and Maclom Bivens during a celebration ceremony. Sikoa ran in to make the save. Sikoa managed to prevent Imperium from getting near Bivens so in a backstage segment, Bivens thanked him backstage, but Sikoa was not interested in it. 

The match saw Solo get in some offense, but it was GUNTHER who won with his finisher. This snapped Solo’s undefeated streak. 

Tag Team Match

4nxt

Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode vs. Tommaso Ciampa and Bron Breakker took place as the opening match. 

This match was set up last week when Ziggler with the help of Roode beat Ciampa to earn the right to be called the #1 contender for the NXT Title, currently held by Breakker. 

Post-match, a brawl broke out until Bron ran out to make the save for Ciampa as he has respect for him considering they wrestled twice before and Bron beat Ciampa to win the NXT Title. 

The match was fun and the fans were into the back and forth action. The finish saw Ciampa hit his finisher on Ziggler. 

Scott Hall Hospitalized After Falling, Suffers Broken Hip

Andrew Ravens
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Scott Hall has been hospitalized. This is according to Jerry Jarrett via PWinsider.com, who shared the news on his Facebook page. Hall fell and broke his hip and is currently in the hospital. 

The WWE Hall of Famer has been announced for WrestleCon on WrestleMania weekend in Dallas next month. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether this injury will force a change to that scheduled appearance. 

Hall found success in the AWA and other promotions before going to WWE where he made a name for himself under his Razor Ramon gimmick. He later changed the business alongside Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan when they formed the nWo in WCW. 

His last notable run came in 2010 as a member of the TNA roster where he had a short-lived reunion with Nash and X-Pac as The Band. 

He was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame for the first time in 2014 and then part of the nWo-headlined 2021 Hall of Fame ceremony.

We wish him a speedy recovery.

Samoa Joe on AEW & WWE: “I’m Open to Whatever Opportunity”

Tyriece Simon
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Samoa Joe enjoys his options as he remains a free agent.

“The Samoan Submission Machine” wants to return to professional wrestling after WWE released him on Jan. 6. During his last tenure with the company, Joe competed in NXT before rebranding into NXT 2.0. He relinquished the NXT Championship, after testing positive for Covid-19.

Since Joe couldn’t compete and was taken off NXT TV, he worked as a trainer at the Performance Center. It’s unclear why the WWE released Joe, but he shared that he was grateful for his time with the company.

Wrestling fans wonder which promotion will be lucky enough to add Samoa Joe to its roster. In an interview with Busted Open on Sirus XM, Samoa Joe commented on the potential of signing with All Elite Wrestling or returning to WWE.

“…I’m open to whatever opportunity. Obviously, at this point, I’m blessed enough that I get to make decisions, and I get to work on some things outside of wrestling. Which is a rarity when you are this far in and committed to the business, said Joe.

He continued, “…I got my team working on stuff, and when they eventually connect, we’ll see if something works out.”

Samoa Joe
(via WWE)

What’s Next for Samoa Joe?

Joe will be under the WWE 90 non-compete clause until Apr. 6. However, he keeps himself busy with projects outside of wrestling and being with his family.

“We’re training. We’re ready. Honestly, I’m not on paper with anybody anywhere. We haven’t signed anything. We’re just kind of exploring our options, and I’m taking little time personally just to be with the family and shore up some things home side, and we’ll see what the coming months hold,” said Joe.

He did share during the interview that he’d like to wrestle against Powerhouse Hobbs and Jon Moxley if Joe were to sign with AEW.

Samoa Joe is also working as a voice actor for the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League video game. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was scheduled to be released this year, but the developers have pushed it back to next year. It’s unclear if he has to do additional voice acting for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

AEW or WWE hasn’t publically expressed interest in signing the free agent. Although it doesn’t seem like Joe is rushing to sign with anyone.

AEW Revolution Betting Odds

Andrew Ravens
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The latest betting odds have been released for the AEW Revolution event. The card for the show that takes place this Sunday is nearly finalized as 9 matches have been announced. 

So far, four AEW titles are on the line with only one expected to change hands. Some of the more notable odds include Thunder Rosa favored to beat Britt Baker for the Women’s Title. 

Wardlow is the current favorite to win the Face of the Revolution ladder match for a TNT Title shot and Jurassic Express is expected to retain their Tag Team Titles in a triple threat match.

AEW Revolution Odds

As a reminder, we will be providing coverage of the show this Sunday. The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the final betting odds, courtesy of BetOnline:

AEW World Heavyweight Champion “Hangman” Adam Page -345 (champion) vs Adam Cole +225

AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker +190 vs. Thunder Rosa -278

CM Punk -250 vs MJF +175 – Dog collar match

Chris Jericho +175 vs. Eddie Kingston -250

Jon Moxley -162 vs Bryan Danielson +115

AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill -500 vs Leyla Hirsch +300

Matt Hardy, Andrade El Idolo and Isiah Kassidy +175 vs. Sting, Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara -250 – Six-man tag team match

Samoa Joe Reveals Why He Relinquished the NXT Title Last Year

Kevin Patrick
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Samoa Joe was released from the WWE/NXT for the second time in a year in January. Triple H brought him back to the Black & Gold Brand after being released from the WWE Raw Announce Team shortly have standing through the rain at Wrestlemania.

Samoa Joe joined Busted Open Radio with Tommy Dreamer and Davie LaGreca this morning to guest host during the final hour of the show. Joe informed the Busted Open Nation exactly why he had to relinquish the NXT title after wining it from Karrion Kross.

Samoa Joe on Relinquishing NXT Title “Due To Certain Injuries”

“I popped for COVID,” said Joe. “You know, at the time, it was over the weekend. My wife was making stew and I couldn’t smell it. She said, ‘Wow, doesn’t that smell great?’ I went, ‘No’ and then I tested positive I think on Saturday and by then, Vince had really wanted to go in a different direction with NXT and he really wanted to have the new opening of NXT 2.0 kind of be with a bang and I agreed with him.

I said, ‘Listen, if that’s the case, then you know, this is probably what’s best for what your vision is for what you want for this product.”

Listen to Samoa Joe break down why he had to relinquish the NXT title weeks after winning “due to certain injuries”, courtesy of our friends at the Putting You Over podcast:

https://youtu.be/dQ4Jc2QMzUY


Alexa Bliss Bachelorette Party Photos from Las Vegas

Michael Reichlin
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Alexa Bliss celebrated her bachelorette party this past weekend in Las Vegas.

A few pro wrestling personalities were in attendance, including former WWE stars Athena (Ember Moon) and Lina Fanene (Nia Jax).

Bliss is engaged to be married to pop star Ryan Cabrera. Alexa Bliss and Ryan Cabrera got engaged in November 2020. The happy couple is planning to get married this spring, some time after WrestleMania 38 weekend.

The bride-to-be posted some photos from the festivities, which you can see below. The bachelorette party included a pole dancing class, hitting a nightclub, karaoke and some good food.

She wrote on Instagram, “What an amazing weekend! Thank you to @joylynnjohnson & @chrisprovino for planning & organizing the best bachelorette weekend ever. my heart is so full with love & fun from the whole weekend! Had an amazing time @mandalaybay.”

Finn Bálor is the 100th Person to Hold the United States Championship

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On Monday Night Raw, Finn Bálor snapped Damien Priest’s impressive reign as United States Champion. Priest, who won the coveted championship at SummerSlam from Sheamus, showcased how important the championship is in building future stars.

Priest’s reign spanned over 191 days where he defeated Drew McIntrye, Sheamus, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Apollo Crews, and Sami Zayn. That’s 6 former World Champions Priest was able to defeat in his title reign making him arguably one the best booked US Champions in history.

This would eventually come to a skirting halt as on the February 21st episode of Monday Night Raw after defeating Shelton Benjamin, Bálor would answer his challenge for a title match the following week.

On Raw, these two athletes put on a barnburner of a contest with Bálor stomping his way to the US Championship, hitting a Coup De Grace.

The first-ever Universal Champion accomplished a major feat in one pinfall. The championship’s origin began as a part of Jim Crockett Jr.’s NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling territory in 1975.

Harley Race would become the inaugural NWA United States Heavyweight Champion after defeating Johnny Weaver in Tallahassee, Florida on January 1st at a house show. Since Race, there have been 99 unique champions, and Bálor just became the 100th.

The United States Championship has been held by some of the industry’s biggest names from Ric Flair, John Cena, Bret Hart, and Booker T. Finn Balor has now added his name to an extensive list of Hall of Famers, legends, and the industry’s best in-ring grapplers.

Chris Jericho On How He Plans To Retire

Anutosh Bajpai
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Many wrestling stars want to make their retirement as big as possible. From going on retirement tours to picking up the biggest opponent, a lot of stars do everything they can to make their final outing as memorable for fans as possible. Though this won’t be the case with Chris Jericho, according to Y2J himself.

The former AEW champion discussed his career and retirement during a recent talk with Fite in Focus. He claimed that when he’s done, he’ll just be done:

“When I’m done, there’s not going to be a retirement tour, there’s not going to be big pomp and circumstance. I’ll be done. I’ll go somewhere else and do what I want to do.”

Although this doesn’t mean that the moment is close. Chris Jericho noted how wrestling has become fun for him again in recent years. According to him, there is no reason for a change when he is enjoying himself:

“Right now, I’m in the best shape of my life, we have a really good story going on with Eddie Kingston that has a lot of layers to come. To me, that’s enough to sit back and enjoy myself. When I’m enjoying myself, there’s no reason to change anything.”

Jericho also discussed how he had started thinking about winding down around 2016. Though going to Japan made wrestling fun for him again.

Chris Jericho Reveals His Dream Matches That Never Happened

Thanks to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

Drew McIntyre On Cody Rhodes Possibly Returning To WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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If there is one star who knows what it’s like rebuilding yourself from scratch after leaving WWE, it’s the former WWE champion Drew McIntyre.

The Scottish Warrior recently had an interview with Baby Huey of In The Kliq. He discussed things such as Cesaro’s WWE exit and more.

When asked about Cody Rhodes potentially making his return to WWE, McIntyre mentioned that he knows what it’s like to leave the promotion feeling that you have unfinished business:

“If he comes back, good for him. That’d be awesome. I know what it feels like to be gone from WWE feeling like you should have achieved more, and coming back to do it.

And just knowing him the way I know him, he probably feels the same way about unfinished business.” said Drew McIntyre, “So if it materializes, then, awesome. He’s such a talent, and be more than welcome on the roster.”

Cody Rhodes surprised everyone when he announced his departure from AEW last month. There are lots of rumors about his next move but no confirmation on what he is actually planning.

McIntyre has history with Rhodes from the time of his first WWE run. The two even held the tag team championships together in the company for a brief period in 2010.

Thanks to CageSideSeats for the transcribed quotes

News On Ricochet’s Position On The SmackDown Roster

Anutosh Bajpai
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Many fans have been critical of how WWE has used Ricochet in recent times despite his popularity. It appears that things may change for the high flyer in coming times.

Mike Johnson of PWinsider recently provided some update on the backstage assessment of the former champion. He noted the following about how the One and Only is seen by the officials:

“We have had some readers ask why Ricochet got such a big push last week. There’s a very good explanation for that. Currently, he’s slated as the number two singles babyface for the entire Smackdown brand internally.”

Former WWE champion Drew McIntyre is obviously the #1 babyface of the blue brand’s roster. Johnson also interestingly noted that The New Day and Shinsuke Nakamura are internally listed as part of the tag team division.

Ricochet picked up a big victory over Sheamus on last week’s SmackDown. He used the Recoil to pin the former world champion despite distractions from Ridge Holland.

Now the big question is if we can expect to see this win turn into a push for the former North American champion. What WWE has planned for him for WrestleMania will be a good indication of what to expect in future.

Watch: Randy Orton Injury Scare on Monday’s Raw (Updated)

Anutosh Bajpai
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Randy Orton may have suffered some sort of shoulder injury during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH.

During a match featuring RK-Bro and the Street Profits, Montez Ford went up to the top rope for a frogsplash on Orton. Ford landed awkwardly on Orton, who moved towards the rope after taking the move. Orton tried to put his foot on the rope when Ford went for the pin.

Angelo Dawkins stopped The Viper and the Street Profits managed to pick up the win. Though the whole affair looked like it did not go as planned.

You can check out the ending of the Street Profits vs RK-Bro match below:

Montez Ford was seen checking in on Randy Orton as soon as the bell rang. He informed the referee and everyone seemed to be concerned about Orton.

A fan noted that Orton, Riddle and the referee went back through the side of the stage after the match, while everyone else walked back through the tunnel. Randy was also seen favoring his shoulder on the way back.

Montez Ford has since tweeted about the situation and says everyone is “healthy.”

“Pinned a World Champion,” he wrote. “Got the Woman. And everyone is healthy. All in one night. GOD IS GREAT,.”

Kevin Owens On Potential Rematch With Edge, His Retirement

Anutosh Bajpai
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Kevin Owens got the opportunity of a lifetime when he faced Edge last year. This cage match took place during the traditional post-Christmas Madison Square Garden Live Event on December 26. According to Owens himself, it was a match he will look back upon very fondly for a long time.

The former Universal champion talked about this during his interview with Ryan Satin on Out Of Character. Kevin revealed that he only got two days’ notice to prepare for the bout. He claimed that he certainly hopes to get a rematch with the Rated R Superstar, but even if he doesn’t, he will still look back at the MSG match very fondly:

“Man, that was awesome. We had two days’ notice. I found out on Christmas Eve, that that’s what was gonna happen. That was a real thrill. We’ve been talking about wrestling each other for so long since he came back. Who knows if we’ll get to do it again. I certainly hope we will get to do it again. But even if we don’t, main event of MSG in a cage and we rocked it, it was a lot of fun. Great times. [It’s] something I [would] look back on very fondly for a very long time for sure.”

Kevin Owens Got Emotional During Edge’s Retirement

The match was even more special for Kevin Owens because, at one point, he thought he will never get to wrestle Edge after his retirement in 2011. Owens has said that Edge’s return was one of the top 5 wrestling moments for him. During the talk, he recalled both, the time Edge retired, and then when he made his triumphant return during the 2020 Royal Rumble:

“I remember sitting on my couch watching him retire thinking it’s so awful it’s happening to him. I felt for him so much. Not just that but at the time I was so so hungry to get to WWE and get to wrestle so many of these guys, and he was just being taken off the list. So, to get to go back and then to get to move forward in the future and now get to [not only] wrestle him but just seeing him return was an unreal moment. I am so happy I was there for that.”

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Former WWE Star Cain Velasquez Involved in Shooting, Facing Attempted Murder Charge

Ryan Droste
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MMA star and one-time WWE wrestler Cain Velasquez has reportedly been involved in a shooting in California.

NBC Bay Area reported on a shooting that occurred near Sobrato High School in San Jose on Monday. One person was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and another was arrested. NBC Bay Area first reported that Velasquez was involved.

Velasquez reportedly lives in the South Bay area. The shooting happened at 3:14 p.m. west coast time on Monday.

In an update to the story, TMZ reports that Velasquez is being held without bail and is facing charges for attempted murder. He is still in jail and has a court hearing on Wednesday at Noon.

Velasquez had a brief run with WWE back in 2019. He worked a WWE Championship match against Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia in October 2019, having been brought in as a big name when SmackDown debuted on FOX.

One month later, he worked his only other match under the WWE banner. Velasquez tagged with Humberto Carrillo against Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows at a house show in Mexico City.

Velasquez was scheduled to be involved in WWE’s Royal Rumble match in January 2020, but his participation in the match was scrapped due to an injury. He was later released from his WWE contract in April of 2020.

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